


all i want for christmas is

by crybaby



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: A lot of baking and consumerism, Age Difference, Anal Sex, Christmas Fluff, Employees to lovers?, I was trying to keep it clean in the spirit of Jesus' birth but I am weak in the face of persuasion, Kidfic, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 10:40:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3064745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crybaby/pseuds/crybaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div class="center">
  <p>With Harry up against his side, his little four year old snuggled in his lap like it’s her favourite place, Louis could really believe they’re a real little family, off to their chalet to spend Christmas in the snow. A real little family where Louis would have the luxury of kissing Harry under mistletoe and rolling around in the fresh snow with him, taking him upstairs to his bedroom and fucking him to keep him warm.</p>
  <p>    <b>(harry is louis' daughters' au pair. they spend christmas in austria)</b><br/></p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	all i want for christmas is

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to post this on Christmas but I got heavily sidetracked but better late than never, right? This was meant to be 6k at most and I honestly have no idea what I babbled about to make up 17k to be quite honest.
> 
> This is honestly just super fluff so beware if you read it. There's one particular cheesy line that slipped in because I made the mistake of listening to 18 while writing the ending. 
> 
> Also, warning that there really is a lot of baking/cooking/food mentions in this fic, so if you think that could be triggering to you, maybe give it a miss ♡
> 
>  
> 
> **DISCLAIMER: i do not own anything or anyone**
> 
> r.i.p mck ♡ 1960-2014

  
****

 

**21 December**

Louis crosses one leg over the other as he unlocks his iPad. Olivia hums to his right, colouring in a princess on the travel activity pad Harry had picked up for her.

 

He opens up an email from work as his mind wanders to Harry. He had taken Emily’s hand in his and taken her to the bathroom when she’d said she needed a wee, and Louis’ eyes stuck to them as they left, how well they fit, Harry dressed warmly and looking nothing less than radiant, as he guided Emily, looking every bit the perfect father with a Powerpuff Girl backpack on as Emily toddles beside him in the outfit he’d picked out for her.

 

He sighs, leaning back in the uncomfortable metal airport chairs. He’d wanted to take a private plane, but Harry had said he shouldn’t waste money on pointless expenses, and a normal flight was more than fine. Louis sighs once more, trying to focus as he rereads from the start.

 

Harry sits down next to him when he brings Emily back from the toilet, sitting her in his lap and starting a game of eye spy with her as they wait for their gate to open.

 

Louis watches him from the corner of his eye, and thinks about how he’s so in love with the man who cares so much for his children, who is their second father, who has been their au pair for two years.

 

 

 

Their flight lands just after ten, and Harry really must be exhausted because he slept through as they landed in Austria without any sound but for a painfully adorable snuffle. When Harry had first started for him, he’d never been on a plane, and had held onto Louis’ hand so tight during take-off with his eyes closed as he clutched at the little gold crucifix around his neck, only to apologize profusely afterwards for being so unprofessional. Louis thinks it was probably then, as he gazed at Harry, that any chance of ever loving anyone but him flew out the window. Eighteen years old, two parts embarrassed and one part nervous.

 

Louis shakes him awake after they land, holding his finger to his lips so that neither of the girls will make any noise as he shakes his shoulder gently.

 

‘Harry, love, we’re here,’ Louis coos, rousing him like he does the girls whenever Harry allows him to. Harry grumbles, before blinking his bright eyes open and looking up at Louis dreamily. ‘Time to go.’

 

Harry nods, just managing to catch a yawn in his sleeve as he unbuckles himself, then leans over to unbuckle Olivia.

 

He manages to wake himself up fast, packing up all of Olivia’s things into her Elsa backpack and slinging it over his shoulder as he ushers her out into the aisle, then follows after. Louis hoists Emily up onto his hip and does absolutely not watch the swing of Harry’s hips as he walks in front of him.

 

 

 

There’s a town car waiting for them after they’ve collected their luggage (which consisted of Louis insisting he do it until Harry submitted and went off with the girls to find a trolley.)

 

Louis has to sit in the middle otherwise the girls bicker about who gets to sit next to him, but instead of Harry sitting in front like he normally would, Emily coerces him into letting her sit on his lap next to Louis.

 

It’s definitely not the first time Louis has felt the press of Harry’s thigh against his, and it won’t be the last, but with Harry up against his side, his little four year old snuggled in his lap like it’s her favourite place, Louis could really believe they’re a real little family, off to their chalet to spend Christmas in the snow. A real little family where Louis would have the luxury of kissing Harry under mistletoe and rolling around in the fresh snow with him, taking him upstairs to his bedroom and fucking him to keep him warm.

 

He sighs, shifting his thigh away and turning to face Olivia before he starts her off in a conversation of what she wants to do during the next two weeks that they’re here.

 

 

 

He wants to help Harry unload the bags, but the girls spring out the car as soon as the child lock comes off, running through the snow towards the house, and Louis has to chase after them to help them avoid injury and to unlock so he can get them out of the cold. By the time he’s got both girls in their special coats, packed away in the coat cupboard, and he’s wrangled them into their winter boots, Harry’s already carried both their suitcases to their room, and Louis’ to his.

 

Louis doesn’t want to further Harry’s probable perception of him being useless, so he picks up Harry’s suitcase and carries it downstairs to his room.

 

Harry’s tucked away where Louis remembers his nanny staying, and even though Louis has told Harry to please stay in one of the proper bedrooms, he always refuses with a shake of his head.

 

Louis nudges his door open and sets his suitcase down on his bed. The room is tiny, a single bed and a little dresser with a little cupboard next to it. The first time Harry had come to stay with them, he’d left the room just as spotless as he found it, probably, Louis thinks, because he didn’t think he was going to stay with them long enough to come back. Last Christmas, Harry hadn’t bothered, had left his own things in the room because they both knew he wasn’t leaving them any time soon.

 

‘Thank you.’ Harry says from behind him, nearly startling Louis out his skin.

 

Louis places a hand over his racing heart, turning around to where Harry’s leaning against the doorframe, smiling. ‘Jesus, are you trying to kill me?’

 

Harry just smiles in return, twin dimples setting into his cherub cheeks. He looks like Louis’ dream Christmas present, against the backdrop of the sliding doors out onto the deck, overlooking the snow covered mountains, dressed in his stupidly tight jeans and ratty brown boots and chunky knit jumper on top. Louis wants to unwrap him, kiss him to see if his lips could possibly get even redder.

 

‘I’m going to unpack yours and the girls’ bags-‘

 

‘Harry, you don’t have to,’ Louis protests, but Harry just raises his eyebrows with an adorable little smirk on his lips. They both know that if Harry doesn’t unpack for him, Louis is going to end up living out of his suitcase for the next two weeks.

 

‘I’m going to unpack yours and the girls’ bags and then I’ll make lunch, but if I’m right, there are two little snow angels waiting to go frolic on the slopes with their father.’

 

Louis smiles, wiping his hands off on his thighs.

 

‘Come on, you go upstairs and get yourself kitted up. I’ll make you a little snack,’ Harry says with a soft smile before he pushes off the door and turns on his heel, Louis following after him like some sort of lovesick magnet.

 

 

 

It’s early afternoon when Emily’s tummy starts grumbling and Olivia asks to pretty please head back home. Louis helps them out their skis, carrying them under his arms and following after the girls as they race back to the house.  

 

By the time Louis reaches the house, they’ve already run inside by the looks of the open door and the snow tracks leading across the porch. Louis stomps the crusted snow off his own boots and sets two pairs of skis down against the wall before he crouches down to untie his boots, kicking them off and lining them up against the wall before allowing himself to step inside the house.

 

The sliding door is open, and across the lounge he can see that Harry has both the girls out on the balcony, crouched down in front of them and untying their laces for them as he nods along while Olivia’s babbles something to him. He looks calm and gentle, like he isn’t even bothered that they’ve tracked slush through the living room, over the floors Louis had just buffed.

 

Louis leaves them to it, climbing upstairs to his room as he unzips his jacket, shrugging it off and hanging it over the back of his armchair.

 

Harry’s unpacked for him, all his clothes folded up neatly when he opens his cupboard. Louis doesn’t need to look in the bathroom to know that Harry’s probably arranged his toiletries on the counter and put his shampoo in the shower. Louis has no idea what he did right to deserve Harry in his life.

 

When he returns back downstairs, he can hear noise coming from the kitchen. He follows the sound, smiling as he sees the two girls sat at the table, Harry standing by the stove. He’s been on a sort-of health kick recently, trying to feed them vegan meals whenever he can, vegetarian when he can’t, and then occasionally letting himself be persuaded by puppy dog eyes into cooking whatever Emily or Olivia want.

 

Louis goes to stand next to him, leaning against the worktop. ‘What’d you make, darling?’

 

Harry turns to smile at him, warm and homely. ‘Pasta with mushroom sauce. Used coconut milk.’

 

Louis nods before he gets four bowls from under the microwave, setting them down next to the stove.

 

Harry gushes about all sorts of Christmas ideas he has as they eat, before the girls start babbling on about nonsense Louis only half understands. Once they’re done, Harry pops their bowls in the dishwasher before it’s decided they’re going to go play for a bit while Louis gets the Christmas tree and the Christmas decorations out from under the stairs.

 

Louis’ sweating as he carries the cardboard box upstairs, heart sinking with the knowledge he’ll have to make the same trip twice more for the two trunks of Christmas decorations. He sets the box down next to the fire place, right by the windows, before he opens it up.

 

He makes the trek to haul both boxes of decorations up the stairs before he assembles the tree, taking it out part by part from its ratty box.

 

It’s a huge thing, heavy and huge and painful as shit when he tries to rearrange the plastic-covered metal arms. He’d wanted to get a real tree, but Harry has passive aggressively hinted that he was stupid for wanting to not use a tree he already owns in favour of chopping down another. Every battle is a losing one when Louis is faced with Harry’s pout and his wide eyes.

 

By the time he’s done, he’s sweating. He takes a step back, hands on hips, to admire his handiwork. The tree’s about two heads and a bit taller than him and God knows how wide. Louis is fucking ecstatic that it’s up and that he doesn’t have to wrestle it until they leave on the fourth.

 

He calls the girls to come help, opening up the boxes and sifting through the contents to get a vague idea of what is where before Emily storms in in a bright pink tutu and tiara, Olivia following in Emily’s Rapunzel dress, hair tied up in about a million little plaits and ponytails and Louis is so grateful he has Harry because he can’t imagine trying to get all those out by himself.

 

He sits down on the couch, thoroughly worn out as he watches the girls run around like Energizer bunnies, wrapping the tree in flurries of glittering tinsel. They can’t even begin to reach the top, so they only decorate up to halfway before they start forcing shiny baubles onto the branches.

 

Harry appears like some sort of angel with extreme mother’s instinct, carrying the little step ladders from downstairs and setting them down so that the girls can reach higher. They still can’t reach the top, but Harry will do that when he neatens up their work later. He always straightens it out so that the heavy ornaments aren’t hanging precariously before he and Louis add on the more antique ornaments that are locked away in the safe.

 

Harry sits down heavily next to him, sighing softly. He’s probably been on his feet awhile, and Louis wants nothing more than to offer him a nice warm bath, except he has no idea how to without sounding like an extreme pervert.

 

Harry’s got a few messy plaits knotted into his own hair, tied up with clear elastic bands and clipped back with Emily’s shiny butterfly clips. He also has a few smears on his cheeks that look like they come from Olivia’s Barbie make-up kit, a bit of bright pink dotted in the centre of his already too-pink mouth.

 

Harry looks likes he’s near sleep, exhausted despite his little nap the flight over. Louis pats his thigh before he leans in closer to him.

 

‘Why don’t you go have a nap? I’ll look after them a bit and start supper.’

 

Harry looks ready to protest, blinking his eyes fast as if to force them awake, before Louis raises his eyebrows. ‘Go on, I insist. I can watch them a few hours.’

 

Harry’s lips lift in a small smile before he leans closer, wrapping Louis in a warm hug. ‘Thank you, Louis.’

 

He watches Harry push off the couch, fiddling with his small plaits as he walks slowly out the living room, down the stairs.

 

 

****  
  


Louis has no idea what he’d do without Harry.

 

Harry sleeps until it’s almost time for the girls to go to bed, and Louis feels exhausted. As soon as they were done with the tree, the girls were a storm of energy, pulling him to their room before immersing him in a game involving seven Barbie dolls and Louis wearing a tiara and Emily’s tutu around his neck. By the time Louis vaguely understands what’s going on, he’s being persuaded by two pairs of giant baby blues to go play around in the snow a bit.

 

Louis gives in, zipping them into their parkas before he surveys the mess of their bedroom. It’s only the first day and it looks like they’d been settling for weeks. Louis had forgotten how much Harry does, always right behind the girls and tidying after them.

 

They have a snowball fight in the front garden, and it’s all fun until it starts getting dark and Olivia’s teeth are chattering and Louis is damp and Emily is whining that she’s hungry.

 

Louis puts in Barbie and the Nutcracker after he gets them into pyjamas, before he starts to make them toasties for dinner, trying to feed them before they come find him in the kitchen and start hassling him. He slings his dishcloth over his shoulder before bringing the girls their supper. He sits down on the couch between them and feeling like he could easily fall asleep, watching Barbie flounce around and tucked under a blanket with his little angels.

 

Harry appears like some sort of dream, face soft with a pillow crease along his cheek as he stands with his hands on his hips, eyeing Emily and Olivia, who both light up when they see him.

 

‘Isn’t it about time you girls go to bed? It’s past eight.’ He scolds, voice filled with mirth.

 

‘Harry,’ Olivia whines, teeth clenched and mouth open, turned down at the corners, long hair falling across her face.

 

‘Can we please finish watching the movie?’ Emily asks, the two of them talking together to form one question.

 

Harry taps his finger against his chin, like he’s really thinking hard, before he sighs. ‘Well alright, I’m sure that will be alright. As long as daddy says it’s okay?’

 

Three sets of wide eyes flick to him, and Louis raises his eyebrows, nodding quickly. Harry smiles then, folding his arms over his chest before he turns to the tv. Louis frowns and makes a sound of disapproval in his throat, catching Harry’s attention before he scoots closer to Olivia, patting the space between him and Emily.

 

Harry sits down lightly, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He must not be completely comfortable because moments later he’s sitting back.

 

Louis feels like he’s being lulled to sleep by Barbie’s voice, eyes struggling to stay open. But he’s wide awake when Harry squirms on the couch, before he’s resting his head on Louis’ shoulder.

 

Louis doesn’t want to move in case he spooks him, stays still and tries not to jostle Harry as he keeps his eyes trained forward, refusing to look over and see Harry so close, eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks and mouth slightly parted and pink as he breathes softly.

 

He’s itching to rest his arm over his shoulders, his muscle memory wanting to hold the body resting against him closer. Harry snuggles closer slightly before Louis takes a deep breath and reaches, resting his arm around Harry’s narrow shoulders lightly.

 

Harry freezes before he relaxes, snoozling like a little puppy before he’s content, bringing one foot up onto the couch, tucked under him as he spends the rest of the movie tucked against Louis’ side.

 

Emily’s fast asleep by the end of the film, Olivia not far off. Harry stretches forward, straightening his legs out in front of him and reaching down for his toes like a cat, before he turns to Emily, tucking his arm around her before he picks her up, cooing at her as he carries her to her room.

 

Louis lifts Olivia onto his hip, kissing her forehead as she rests her head on his shoulder, yawning wide as a little lion.

 

He tucks her in, kissing her forehead, before he goes to where Harry is stroking through Emily’s hair as he settles back into sleep. They’re a picture, Harry standing over her with a loving smile on his face. It’s fucked up and drives Louis a little mad because they could definitely pass as Harry’s daughters, with Olivia’s long brown hair and Emily’s downy waves. They have similar eyes, huge and bright and able to turn Louis into a weak man at the bat of an eyelid.

 

He leans down to kiss her on her nose before he switches on Emily’s nightlight, gesturing for Harry to follow him as they leave.

 

‘Love you daddy,’ Olivia says softly, and Louis turns back, smiling at his little girl as she tries in vain to fight sleep.

 

‘Love you more sweetheart. Sleep tight.’ He whispers, before he pulls the door closed after him, leaving it slightly ajar.

 

Harry’s smiling at him where he’s waiting across the passage, arms folded over his chest. His socks don’t match, because they never do.

 

He follows him back to the living room, watching as Harry folds up the blanket before he sets it down on the back of the couch. Harry crouches down in front of the television, ejecting the dvd before he switches it off.

 

‘Wanna help finish off the tree?’ Louis asks. It’s a bit of a mess, wrapped in garish tinsel and strings of bright Christmas lights.

 

Harry laughs softly before he comes to stand next to him, their shoulders touching. ‘How much can I fix before they notice, do you think?’

 

‘I dunno, my bet is you could probably redo the entire thing and they wouldn’t see any difference.’

 

‘Awful,’ Harry mutters, arms wrapped around his tiny waist as he bumps Louis’ shoulder with his own, ‘Absolutely awful.’

 

Louis somewhat helps but mostly stands back and watches as Harry neatens up their tree, moving a few ornaments around and unwinding a large portion of tinsel before he winds some around the top, standing on his toes. He still can’t reach the very top, leaving it bare.

 

Louis helps him take off the lights so they can restring them, spiralling down the body of the tree. He leaves Harry to check that everything is stable as he runs up to the office, fetching the box of antique ornaments from his great granddad.

 

The tree looks gorgeous when he gets back, Harry standing back and admiring it, now that it’s more evened out. Louis sets the box down on the coffee table, taking off the lid and setting it down beside it.

 

‘Ooh, the fancy ones,’ Harry says, a teasing edge to his voice, despite the fact that he’s already crouching down to sift through the contents of the box.

 

First he hangs on a metal train as Louis hangs on a glass bell, a little angel inside. Harry’s extra careful as he hangs on the gold metal ones, smiling as he hangs on a little reindeer.

 

It looks even more gorgeous once they’re done, and all that’s left is the star. Louis knows he should go fetch a chair from the dining room, but instead he turns to Harry, holding out the glittering star to him.

 

‘Would you care to do the honours?’ he asks, Harry raising his eyebrows as he pushes the star back into Louis’ hands.

 

He shakes his head, cheeks flushed and pink. ‘No, I couldn’t.’

 

‘Come on. You can sit on my shoulders,’ he offers with a grin.

 

Harry bites his lower lip, before he nods, smile spreading over his full mouth. Louis crouches down, waiting for Harry to climb on.

 

‘Come on child, I’m going grey,’ he nags, before Harry tuts.

 

‘Hold your horses,’ he tells Louis, before he swings one leg over Louis’ shoulder, then the other, and Louis reaches up to pass him the star before he holds onto Harry’s thighs, standing up slowly.

 

Harry’s surprisingly light, composed of sinewy muscle and long legs with little around his waist, while Louis is more stocky, gains muscle easily and has started getting softer around his middle with every year.

 

‘Shit,’ Harry giggles, his thighs clenching around Louis’ neck slightly before Louis settles him, one hand curled over his thigh as he wraps his arm around his calf, keeping him steady before he walks over to the tree at snail’s pace.

 

Harry sets his hand on his head, twisting his fingers into Louis’ hair and pulling gently as he leans forward, extending his arm to put the star on the top of the three, thighs tight around Louis’s throat as he makes sure it’s stable.

 

He fiddles a bit more, fixing the tinsel so that it’s covering the top before he tries to pull at the lights, leaning too far forward so that they nearly topple. Louis squeezes his thighs tight,  his nails dig into the denim. Harry gasps before he giggles, squirming a bit so that he’s pressed even closer and the warmth at the crux of his thighs is pressed against the back of his neck. Louis gulps.

 

It’s a bit more difficult to get Harry off. They wobble around a bit before Louis bends down behind the couch, Harry letting go of him and flopping backwards onto the cushion, giggling like a child who’s done something he shouldn’t. It’s infectious, and Louis can’t help giggling along as he turns around and sees Harry sprawled on the couch, legs over the back and head hanging off.

 

Louis helps him up, before he pulls him into a hug. Harry presses his face into his neck, breathing out warm against his skin before he draws back. His eyes are glittery, reflecting the Christmas lights and Louis is enthralled. Harry’s so close, eyelashes dark and curly as he blinks slowly, his mouth parted as Louis drops his arms from around his waist, Harry’s arms sliding off his shoulders.

 

‘Night,’ Louis murmurs, watching as Harry goes down to his room before he turns off the lights and heads to bed himself.

 

 

**22 December**

Louis wakes up slowly, stretching his limbs out across the soft cloud that is his bed. He opens his eyes and is greeted by the view of snow covered trees with snow-capped mountains in the background.

 

It must be late because he can hear Harry singing Let It Go, the girls shrieking along. He knows that Harry always tries to keep the girls quiet while Louis is asleep, but that he lets them make all the noise they want after ten.

 

Louis pulls himself out of bed, following the sound of sugary giggles down into the kitchen. Harry has set the girls up at the dining room table, pots of glitter and sticks of glue and piles of coloured paper surrounding them. Louis used to hate glitter because the girls love to make messes and he’s absolutely awful at cleaning them up, but then he got Harry and he is convinced there is nothing Harry can’t fix.

 

‘Harry, how do you spell splen- splendiferous?’ Emily asks, frowning down at her piece of folded up, blue card.

 

‘S,’ Harry starts, looking up from his decorations to smile at her. Louis leans against the wall, cocking his head as he feels himself smiling from the gentle look he gives his daughter, ‘p, l e n, d, i, f, e, r, o u s.’

 

Emily nods, before she scrawls messily with her crayon. Louis had no doubt that she still spelt it wrong.

 

‘Done!’ Olivia shouts, stacking all her cards on top of one another before pushing them to the centre of the table.

 

‘Well done Livvie,’ Harry says with a warm smile, reaching out to pull the pile towards himself. He leafs through them, his smile widening as his eyes glitter before he passes them back. ‘They’re gorgeous! We’ll post them as soon as Emmie is done. Why don’t you go ask daddy for some envelopes?’ Harry says before he flicks his eyes to where Louis’ hanging back in the doorway.

 

As soon as Harry’s said it, Olivia is out her chair and throwing herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. ‘Daddy,’ she grins, dragging it out, ‘can we please have some envelopes?’

 

Louis brushes her hair back. ‘Sure thing, sweetheart. There are some in the drawer in the study.’ Olivia bolts, the wooden floors creaking underfoot as she sprints. ‘No running!’ He shouts after her, even though she won’t listen.

 

He ventures forward towards the table to see what’s happening, arms wrapped around his middle as he brushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

 

Harry’s cutting out ornament templates on coloured card, making little holes in the top for string to go through. He’s got a nice pile growing, plain paper circles that the girls can decorate however they want after they’ve finished their Christmas cards to send to the family.

 

‘How can I help?’ Louis asks as he pulls out a chair next to Harry, sitting down and eyeing the confusion of craft supplies spread out on the table.

 

Harry finishes another circle before he looks up at him, beaming. ‘If you want, you can start stringing these. Or,’ He drags it out, looking over the table, ‘you can start decorating them. Or you can make your own Christmas cards. Or you can just make a mess like Emmie.’

 

Emily looks up, mouth open like a surprised cartoon. ‘Hey!’

 

Harry wraps his arm around her before he squeezes her shoulder. ‘Just teasing, pet.’

 

Emily frowns but carries on colouring across the front of her card. She has dried glue on her fingers and glitter in her hair.

 

Olivia climbs back into her chair, a pile of envelopes in her hands that she sets down in front of her. She counts out five for herself and five for Emily before she sets the remainder in the middle of the table, on top of the card.

 

Olivia tucks each card into an envelope, one by one, before she licks them closed. ‘One for Granny and Grandpa,’ she says as she writes their names across the front, sticking on a glittery reindeer sticker, ‘One for nan,’ she says, dragging out the a, as she repeats, sticking down a smiling snowman, ‘One for Auntie Helen, one for Auntie ‘Lizbeth, and one for mummy and Leonard.’ She repeats the process for each of them, plastering them in brightly coloured, festive stickers.

 

She stacks them neatly before she sets them down on the floor, under her chair. Louis looks up as he ties a knot in a length of string, looped through the hole in the card, and watches as Olivia scoots her chair closer to Emily’s.

 

‘Can I help?’ she asks softly, watching as Emily rubs glitter glue all over an envelope with her pointer finger.

 

She hums, passing Olivia an envelope plastered in princess stickers. ‘Please write Auntie ‘Lizbeth.’

 

Olivia obliges, writing names on all of Emily’s envelopes as she cakes on glitter and stickers and glue.

 

It’s comfortable, the four of them sat around the dining room table, quiet and busy. It’s calm and peaceful with Harry’s Christmas mix playing from the living room. It feels like domestic bliss, like he and Harry are parents, happily married and in love.

 

As soon as they’ve tied string through every cardboard circle, Harry pushes them into a pile towards the centre.

 

‘I’ll leave you to decorate those while I go and make some gingerbread,’ Harry tells them, pushing his chair back as the girls nod in unison. He rests his hand on Louis’ shoulder, just grazing his fingers across the line of his back, ‘Alright?’

 

Louis nods, passing each girl a circle as Harry lets his hand linger before he disappears into the kitchen.

 

They’re a driven force to finish decorating each of Harry’s carefully cut-out circles, covering them in doodles and glitter and stickers, until they’ve got a nice pile of bright ornaments for the tree.

 

Louis pushes back his chair as Olivia and Emily bicker over the child-safe scissors to make paper dolls, going round the table to stroke both of their heads, before he adventures into the kitchen, following the sweet scent.

 

Harry’s got his back to him, swinging his hips slowly as Frank Sinatra croons for them to have a merry little Christmas. Louis approaches him quietly, coming up behind him before he sets his hand on his waist.

 

Harry jumps from fright, turning to face him before his face splits into a grin. ‘All done?’

 

Louis nods, watching Harry as he looks back down at his baking tray to ease the separate pieces for their gingerbread house off the baking parchment.

 

‘Shit, that looks amazing Harry,’ Louis says in awe, rubbing his hand in tiny circles in the centre of Harry’s back as Harry gives him a warm smile.

 

‘Thank you. It’s a Mary Berry recipe.’ he tells him before he taps at the yellow windows. Louis watches him as he speaks. ‘The windows are made from crushed up hard candy. It’s amazing right? It melts and ends up looking all pretty.’

 

Louis nods, can’t take his eyes off Harry as he sets each carefully cut out piece of gingerbread onto one tray.

 

‘Want to help assemble it?’ Harry asks with a positively radiant smile as he looks up at him. They’re so close. Louis could lean in and kiss him, trace his fingers over his pink cheeks and cup at his soft jaw, run his thumb along his full lower lip before tasting his mouth.

 

Louis shrugs. ‘Yeah, okay,’ he affirms, before Harry is picking up the tray, Louis’ hand retracting from his waist as Harry sets the tray down on the table, shortly following by a bowl of icing and a piping bag.

 

Louis takes a seat and watches as Harry stands on his toes to reach the cupboard above the oven, disrupting a stack of muffin trays and cake moulds before he pulls out a cake board.

 

He sits down next to Louis, facing him so that their knees are pressed together, before he places the cake board between them. ‘Mary put icing all over her thing to make it stand,’ Harry muses, a little crinkle between his eyebrows, before he reaches for a butter knife from the cutlery hanger. ‘Hold it steady, please.’

 

Louis does as told, wiping the board off with a dishcloth before holding it still. Harry spreads white icing over its surface in a thick layer, icing it until it’s all somewhat level.

 

Louis helps Harry assemble it, holding the front piece steady while Harry pipes icing along the edge before he presses two sides together, helping him repeat until they have all four walls. After they’ve spread a thick layer of icing on the upper edge, Louis helps him press on the first half of the roof, holding it still for a few minutes until it’s set, then doing the other side.

 

They leave it to rest a few hours before the girls can tackle it with decorations. Harry then sets the kettle on, making him tea and toast for breakfast, sliding him a Christmas cupcake afterwards and ruffling his hair before he takes the girls a cupcake each.

 

Louis watches him leave with a wistful sigh, eyeing the stretch of his back, the sway of his full hips.

****  
  


Harry takes the girls out skiing, the three of them wrapped up warmly in puffy parkas and gloves and beanies, the girls in their puffy pants and boots with Harry carrying their skis for them.

 

Louis stands on the balcony and watches Emily march in front, out the front gate with Harry trailing behind. As soon as they’re gone, Louis heads back inside to fetch the box of outside lights from downstairs.

 

He wraps his scarf around his neck before he pulls on the jumper Harry left for him over a dining room chair, heading out onto the balcony to brave the cold.

 

He spends a long time trying to untangle everything, adamant he’s not going to be weak and head inside to untangle everything while warm, despite the fact that he is slowly losing feeling in his nose.

 

He hangs each string of lights over the railing as he untangles them until none of them are knotted and he can pull at the longest of them.

 

He wraps lights around the railing, and then some up the pillars after he fetches a chair from inside. Louis is near ecstatic when he discovers that the fasteners he’d installed last year managed to survive all year, some of them a bit rusted but alright all the same.

 

It takes him a good hour to connect lights around the windows and the front door before he goes upstairs to line the girls’ windows with bright multi-coloured lights. He uses the strings of lights he hasn’t used yet to go downstairs and line Harry’s window in the white star-shaped ones, then trudging down the walkway to wrap the solar-powered lights around the front gate.

 

By the time Harry brings the girls back home, Louis has connected about a million multi plugs together to plug them all in, and when the three of them come through the front door, boots off and delightfully pink-cheeked, Louis is resting on the couch, sipping at a glass of wine despite the fact it’s barely passed noon, watching the tail end of Home Alone.

 

‘Hello sweetheart,’ he greets when Emily hops onto the couch, snuggling under his arm right away and smiling up at him. Louis gasps at the empty space beside her two front teeth. ‘Wow, how did that happen?!’

 

Olivia sits down on his other side, wrapping her arms around his middle as Louis lifts his arm around her, careful not to spill his wine.

 

‘It happened when I gave her a sandwich to get her spirits up.’ Harry says after he closes the front door, pulling his gloves off finger by finger like he’s some sort of cartoon seductress.

 

‘I was just chewing and there was something hard and it was my tooth!’ Emily says before she grins at him again, poking her tongue through the gap.

 

‘No blood?’ Louis asks.

 

‘No blood.’ Emily affirms and Louis rubs her shoulder before Olivia’s pulling on his arm, his wine glass jostled as she tries to get his attention.

 

‘Daddy I have missing teeth too!’ she whines, making Louis smile while Emily looks comically affronted.

 

‘You lost yours last week!’

 

‘Hey, no fighting.’ Louis warns. ‘And yes Livvie, you have missing teeth, but remember how last week daddy helped you write out your letter for the tooth fairy and convinced Harry to let you have ice cream for supper?’ He says the last part in a whisper, eyeing where Harry shoots him a playful Cold, Hard Stare before he sits down on the armchair. ‘And this is Emmie’s first missing tooth.’

 

Olivia pouts before she snuggles against him, huffing into his jersey as Louis holds his arm out to keep his glass still. Harry leans forward in his chair, taking the glass from Louis and setting it down on the coffee table. Louis mouths a quick thank you as Emily starts babbling again.

 

Louis’ been persuaded to touch her gums when he asks, ‘Do you still have the tooth, sweetheart?’

 

‘I have it!’ Olivia exclaims, ripping open her velcro breast pocket before she digs around inside before she brandishes a tiny little tooth for Louis’ inspection.

 

‘Wow,’ Louis says, letting Olivia set it down in the palm of his hand. ‘That’s huge! The tooth fairy is definitely going to leave you a lot of money!’

 

Emily grins at him, before Louis steers the conversation so that Olivia won’t get too pouty from being left out.

 

Harry leaves them to go and scrounge up lunch for them, bringing in a tray to the lounge with three bowls of soup and a plate of bread, and Louis gives him a soft smile as thanks as Harry tucks a blanket over the three of them, putting in Elf as per Emily’s request, before he returns to the kitchen.

 

Halfway through the film Emily drifts into an afternoon nap, cuddled up against Louis’ side before Louis extracts himself from his daughters’ snuggle circle.

 

Harry’s just taking cupcakes out of the oven when Louis checks upon him, watching him as Harry sets the tray down on the worktop before he uses a butter knife to try and ease them out.

 

‘I’m gonna go wrap some Christmas presents, so if the girls ask you where I am, don’t tell them, yeah?’

 

‘No, you don’t have to! I was going to do them later!’ Harry exclaims, looking like a kicked puppy in a frilly apron.

 

Louis shakes his head, leaning against the doorframe. ‘Harry, you’re literally doing everything for me. Let me at least do something so I don’t feel so lazy and useless.’

 

Harry smiles at him, biting his lower lip, before he looks away quickly, back at his cupcakes where they’re sitting on the cooling rack as he nods.

 

Louis watches him a beat longer, wants to fit up against his back and kiss the soft skin of his shoulder that his jumper doesn’t cover. He shakes his head before leaving, watching Harry reaching for his bowl of icing.

 

The girls’ Christmas presents took up most of the space in his suitcase, and even some in Harry’s, making his bag extremely overweight, but the overweight fee was largely less than the cost of their presents, so Louis wasn’t bothered. He hadn’t overlooked the opportunity to tell Harry that his bag wouldn’t be overweight if they’d taken a private plane, Harry retorting that it wouldn’t be overweight either if they’d done what he’d suggested and taken the ten-hour train.

 

Louis is admittedly not great at wrapping presents. Harry’s amazing, but then again Harry is amazing at everything. When Louis wraps presents, they can end up looking a bit like he did them blindfolded, but he likes to think the girls don’t mind. Harry always gets greatly offended when he sees Louis’ crudely wrapped presents because he’s just stupidly perfect and likes to straighten his corners and tie ribbons around everything.

 

He wraps as much as he can before he’s too awfully bored and would rather go outside in his pants than misjudge how much wrapping paper he needs and trying to wrap a Barbie in two separate pieces of wrapping paper anymore.

 

When he ventures back downstairs, Harry’s no longer in the kitchen, but there is a plate of cupcakes decorated like Christmas trees on the counter.

 

Harry’s in the lounge, sitting on the floor between Olivia’s legs as Olivia attempts a French plait in his long hair while she and Emily bicker about something unintelligible, Harry injecting every so often.

 

He climbs over the back of the couch to make his presence known, pulling Emily into his lap and tickling her sides. She squeals before Louis stops, kissing the top of her head. ‘What does everything think about us going out for dinner tonight? Give Harry a break from feeding us?’

 

Harry looks ready to protest and assure Louis that he loves cooking for them, but Olivia is shouting a yes before Harry can get a word out.

 

‘It’s decided then.’

 

He lets Olivia finish off her lopsided plait in Harry’s hair before he sends them to get ready. Harry goes to get them dressed as Louis makes a reservation in a vaguely posh restaurant in town before he goes to get dressed.

 

Harry’s dressed the girls in their special dresses, Emily in her red velvet long-sleeve and Olivia in her white marzipan dress, both of them in matching white tights and black buckled shoes. He’s tucked back Emily’s short hair with a matching red Alice band while he’s tied Olivia’s hair up into a bun, baby hairs clipped back with a sparkly reindeer barrette.

 

But it’s Harry who steals the show, wearing a loose black jumper with a blazer over in his disastrously tight jeans and black boots, hair tied back in a bun, eyes wide and bright. Louis gulps at the sight of him, unable to stop himself dragging his eyes over the soft curve of his thighs.

 

He grabs his wallet from the fireplace before he nods his chin for everyone to follow him to the garage. His mum bought a car special for the house, which Louis doesn’t see the logic in as the house is empty for most of the year when he, his sisters, or his parents aren’t there.

 

Harry buckles in Emily’s car seat before he does up both of their seat belts as Louis climbs into the front seat, Harry going to sit in the passenger seat as Louis opens the garage door.

 

Harry pops in Olivia’s One Direction cd so that they can sing along during the ten minute drive, wiggling around in their little coats and gloves as Harry sinks back in his seat, thumbing through the little album booklet as he sings along softly. The girls are enamoured with the three-piece boyband and Louis is at a stage where he can almost differentiate who’s singing what.

 

They sit tucked against the front window, overlooking the busy snow-covered streets, with Emily next to him and Olivia next to Harry. Despite the atmosphere, it would appear that the four of them are incapable of acting anything other than collectively childish.

 

Louis ends up with a serviette on his head as Olivia holds a glass against her mouth, saying her name over and over until her cheeks puff out, which has everyone at the table doing it despite the dirty looks they get from the table next to them.

 

‘Daddy, do you like seafood?’ Olivia asks, and Louis knows where she’s going but he plays along.

 

‘Love it, angel,’

 

Olivia opens her mouth, showing off a mouthful of chewed food. ‘See food!’

 

‘Ew!’ Emily shrieks. Louis’ not sure if she can talk when her cheeks are smeared with pasta sauce.

 

Olivia looks her in the eye before she opens her mouth and burps. Emily looks cartoonishly affronted before she brings her hands to her face, pressing them to her cheeks before she makes a fart noise.

 

Harry’s giggling into his sleeve, cheeks as pink as Olivia’s milkshake. Louis shakes his head. ‘You know, just the other day I was telling granny what lovely little ladies you’ve become.’

 

Olivia starts to giggle, sticking her tongue out at him through her teeth when she smiles as Emily uses her spoon to shovel more pasta into her mouth, smiling wide at Louis as she starts to push it through the new gap in her teeth with her tongue.

 

‘Disgraceful,’ Louis mutters, covering his mouth with his hand, and Olivia shrieks when he removes it, Harry banging his head down on the table as his shoulders shake with laughter at the sight of Louis with a chip shoved up his nose.

 

Emily chokes on her milkshake, coughing like a sick puppy in between her peals of laughter, mouth open and tongue out. Louis grins as he leans over to rub strong circles against her back before he looks her in the eye and breathes out so the chip flies out his nose.

 

Harry starts laughing again, eyes watering as he tries to smother the sound with his hands. Louis wants to pull them away and listen to him laugh for hours, listen to him giggle softly as Louis draws circles along his forearm.

 

Louis remembers a time when he used to love ordering elaborate desserts and dom pedros, but ever since the girls were born, the only dessert option is ice cream.

 

They each order a bowl of ice cream and chocolate sauce which Louis can’t help but find hilarious, sat in some fancy restaurant, overlooking the carefully crafted menu and ordering steak and chips for dinner and ice cream for dessert.

 

Olivia and Emily have a race to see who can mix their ice cream fastest, going at it until they have something akin to a chocolate-y soft serve, which they then race to see who can eat the fastest.

 

Harry takes the girls to the bathroom as Louis pays the bill, leaving a substantial tip to ease the pain of the disruption they caused.

 

Louis blasts One Direction as they drive back, singing along at the top of his lungs as he drives with his knees, hands held up the air, so that the girls let out gusts of shrieking laughter before Louis covers his eyes with his hands, the girls laughing harder as Harry doubles over, cheeks pulled tight so he looks like some sort of daydream, smiley and fresh faced and pink cheeked and just utterly gorgeous.

 

When they arrive back home, he slows the car to take in the appearance of it, covered in bright Christmas lights.

 

‘We should have a snowball fight,’ Harry says softly, and before Louis can raise his eyebrow in question, the girls are chorusing their agreement.

 

Minutes later, after they’d run inside to put on their proper winter coats, Louis is opening the sliding door and leading the other three like a mother duckling down the stairs to the back garden.

 

‘Me and Olivia against Harry and Emily. Three hits and you’re out.’ he says, punctuating it as he cracks his neck side to side. He can almost hear Harry’s scolding that he’ll get arthritis. ‘Three minutes preparation, then we fight to the death.’

 

He turns on his heel to nod to his troops before he winks at Olivia and seconds later they’re sprinting off, crouching down behind the outside table.

 

Louis is raising little vipers, he’s sure of it. They’re competitive as shit, and Harry is probably Bambi in human form. Olivia goes in for the kill as Emily tries to take out Olivia, leaving Louis able to go for Harry when he’s too focussed on running away from Olivia as she shoots snowballs at his back.

 

Emily gets her out just as Louis gets Harry out, smacking him in the chest with a snowball as a look of shock passes over his pretty face, and then Louis’ being hit in the back of the head.

 

Emily cheers before Olivia chases after her, the two of them running around like excited puppies as Harry flops down in the snow, positively beaming as he flutters his eyes closed and spreads his limbs out before he starts making a snow angel.

 

Louis waits a second before he joins him, giggling along with Harry as they make snow angels, Emily and Olivia screaming and giggling around them. Louis thinks he could gladly spend the rest of forever like this.

 

****  
  


Even though it’s well past their bedtime, Louis lets himself be persuaded to let them stay up a bit longer.

 

It’s decided they’re all going to get into their pyjamas before Harry makes some of his magic hot chocolate to warm the shivers out of them, and then they’re going to snuggle up in Louis’ bed and watch something. They’re saving Emily’s teeth for when they get back home after Emily’s panic of “What if this tooth fairy doesn’t understand English?”

 

Tonight, the film of choice is Barbie Rapunzel and Emily and Olivia get changed lightning fast, speeding into his room and diving into his bed as Louis’ pulling on a t-shirt.

 

He listens to them make noise as he goes into the bathroom to take out his contacts, pushing his glasses up his nose and ruffling his hair before he climbs onto his bed, Olivia and Emily wiggling out of the way to make space for him to plonk down between them.

 

‘Daddy,’ Emily asks, voice sweet like she wants something. Olivia bites her lip, blinking up at him like a new-born forest creature. ‘You know how mummy has Leonard?’

 

Louis frowns, sitting back against his pillows as he looks at Emily sceptically, sitting on her feet in her Ariel nightie. ‘Yes?’ he answers back cautiously.

 

Emily looks over at Olivia, sitting cross-legged to face him in her matching Powerpuff Girls pyjamas. Olivia blinks up at him owlishly before she sucks in a deep breath.

 

‘Isharryyourleonard?’ She says in a rush.

 

‘I beg your pardon?’

 

‘Is Harry going to be our new mummy?’ Emily asks, slower with something that looks dangerously like hope in her powder blue eyes.

 

Louis chokes, coughing as he processes her question. He’s still feeling horrendously surprised when he looks back up at his little girls, both of them looking curious and hopeful. ‘First off, you already have a mummy. How do you think she’d feel if she knew you wanted to replace her,’ he says teasingly, trying to compose himself after the shock of their question, ‘And secondly-’

 

He’s cut off by Harry walking into the room, tray in his hands as he walks slowly so not to spill. Emily snaps her lips shut as Olivia scrambles to sit next to Louis, the picture of suspicious innocence as Harry sets the tray down on the trunk at the foot of his bed.

 

Louis reaches for the dvd remote, pressing play as the girls snuggle in on either side of him and Harry passes them each their mug of hot chocolate. Ever since Harry found out that marshmallows aren’t vegetarian, he’s been buying really nice fancy ones that taste like they have twice the sugar and are delicious in hot chocolate.

 

Harry reclines at the foot of the bed, lying on his side and propped up on his elbow so not to disturb their ability to see the tv fixed to the bedroom wall. Louis eyes the slope of his side, the undulation of his body, wide shoulders flowing into his narrow waist and soft hips, then down the line of his legs, before he nudges him with his toe.

 

Harry looks back at him over his shoulder, mouth slightly parted and eyebrows raised.

 

‘Get in,’ Louis whisper-shouts, looking pointedly at the empty space next to Emily. Harry smiles as he shakes his head, but Louis raises his eyebrows to show he means business, and then Harry’s sighing over dramatically and pushing himself up, careful with his mug in his hand, before he crawls to lie down next to Emily, relaxing back.

 

Louis winks at him over his daughter’s head before he returns his focus to the tv and tries to keep his quips about the animation to himself.

 

The girls both drop off within the first twenty minutes, and although the logical thing to do would be to switch off the film and take them to bed before bidding Harry goodnight, they watch it to the end, hot chocolate long gone and all their mugs cluttered next to Louis’ iPad on his bedside.

 

Harry makes to pick up Emily to take her back to her room, but Louis shakes his head. ‘It’s fine, they can sleep here.’ He whispers, stifling a yawn with his palm before he looks at where Harry’s climbing out. ‘You can too, if you like. The bed’s big enough.’

 

‘Oh, I couldn’t, it’s fine,’ Harry stutters, his cheeks blushing pink.

 

‘Don’t be difficult. My room is warmer than your little matchbox, so the least I can do is share a bit.’

 

Harry sighs dejectedly before he sits back. ‘Why are you so good at persuasion?’ he groans, and Louis grins at him, eyes scrunching up.

 

‘How do you think I got so successful?’

 

Harry returns his grin as he snuggles down, pulling the duvet up to his neck. Louis watches him a second longer before he reaches over Olivia to turn off his bedside lamp.

 

‘Goodnight Louis.’ Harry whispers.

 

‘’Night darling.’

 

 

**23 December**

With two days left until Christmas, Harry gets into gear with preparation.

 

Louis wakes up at seven because of the mongrels sharing his bed who have no care when it comes to Louis’ love of sleep.

 

Harry nearly makes it up to him when he brings them flapjacks in bed and tea for Louis. He switches on the television to CBeebies and climbs back in next to Emily, letting her feed him bites of her flapjacks.

 

The girls have a kiddies ski workshop at two and Louis and Harry have plans to do some last minute Christmas shopping before they head to one of the slopes that isn’t the kiddies run, but before that Harry seems to have multiple Christmas related ideas.

 

The first apparently includes plugging his iPod into the home system and playing an endless string of Christmas music as he sets himself up in the kitchen after setting up the girls with plain Christmas stockings and fabric glue, tubs of different thing they can decorate them with at the dining room table.

 

Louis sets himself up in the armchair beside the Christmas tree, plugging his laptop in as he sets out to get some work done.

 

After two days of not checking his email, he has a pile up of over three hundred emails and he sighs before he starts the tedious task of reading them all and answering most.

 

He tries hard to stay focussed but after answering around a hundred emails he’s bored and highly susceptive to distraction.

 

He rests back in his chair, watching his little girls decorating their stockings, Emily kneeling on her chair and almost climbing on the table as she sticks stuff down on her blue stocking as Olivia kicks her legs to and fro as she draws on her pink one.

 

Louis sometimes feels like Harry isn’t real. After he and Eliza had split up and joint custody was decided, Louis had a bit of a freak out about the fact that he spends a large portion of his life at work and has absolutely no idea how to raise two little girls.

 

He thinks he’s probably been in love with Harry since he first interviewed him. Harry was clean faced and pretty, eighteen years old and charming. He was fresh out of Cheshire, charming Louis with stories about him trying to ride a cow and how he worked in a bakery and how he’d been looking after his nan every summer for four years.

 

Harry has waxed poetic about his love for Jamie Oliver and started telling Louis about how much he loves cooking and baking, impressing him as he started babbling about his favourite recipes before he’d shifted topic to how he wanted to maybe be a primary school teacher because of his love for children. Louis was amazed by him.

 

The girls had loved him when he’d first introduced him, instantly taking to his soft hair and his willingness to be dressed up in their dress-up costumes. Harry ingrained himself in their little family, coming into their home like some sort of Martha Stewart apprentice. Louis is still near certain Harry is magic because he is sure no one can make perfect biscuits, clean up wine stains, and get two feisty little girls bathed and blow-dried by the time Louis gets home.

 

He scratches through his hair before he drops his head back, eyes closed as he sighs. He needs to focus but now his mind is stuck on the most beautiful person he’s ever seen after his own girls, thinking about his mouth, soft and yielding, and how he always giggles after he playfully insults Louis, like a faultless child doing something he’s been told not to.

 

He puts his laptop to sleep, setting it down on the coffee table as he decides to investigate the beautiful scent coming from the kitchen.

 

Harry’s sat up on the counter, one leg tucked under himself as he mixes whatever’s in his bowl with a wooden spoon.

 

‘What’s cooking, good looking?’ Louis asks, crouching down in front of the oven. Harry’s watching him when Louis looks up, head tilted to the side with a little crinkle between his eyebrows.

 

‘If you must know, I’m making gingerbread men now, mince pies after, and then I’m making your birthday cake.’

 

Louis runs his finger along the edge of an icing-filled bowl on the kitchen table, bringing it to his lips and sighing. Harry somehow manages to turn something as simple as sugar icing into something amazing.

 

‘I should really send you off to Great British Bake Off or something. Your impeccable talent is wasted on us,’ Louis says with a sigh, using a different finger to scoop up some of the red icing, ‘I swear we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between royal icing and buttercream; we don’t deserve your expertise.’

 

Harry laughs softly before he slides off the counter, setting his bowl of filling down next to his cookie cutters. ’I love looking after you. I think it makes me happier than winning any baking show could.’

 

Harry looks away from him, pulling on a cupcake-print oven mitt and crouching to open the oven. Louis can see that his cheeks are bright pink though, and he doesn’t know what to say.

 

As soon as Harry sets down a tray of beautifully golden gingerbread men on the stove, Louis steps behind him, wrapping his arms around his tiny waist and hugging him tightly.

 

Harry sags back into it, arms covering Louis’ as Louis leans over his shoulder to kiss his cheek. He’s definitely crossing some unspoken boundary between au pair and employer, but Harry’s cheek is soft against his lips and his hands are warm over Louis’, body fitting so perfectly against Louis’.

 

Harry turns in his arms so he’s facing him, eyes wide and trusting and mouth plush and inviting and Harry’s leaning forward and Louis wants to kiss him, is ready to fit their mouths together, to taste him, but there’s a screech of ‘Daddy!’ from the living room and Louis’ stepping back, blinking fast as Harry backs himself against the oven, staring at him with wide eyes before Louis takes one last look at him before he walks out into the living room.

 

****  
  


Louis walks the girls to their skiing workshop at ten to two, both of them wrapped up in their puffy ski gear with their backpacks on, little lunches packed by Harry tucked in with scarves and activity books, just in case.

 

He kisses each of them on the forehead before he pulls them both into his chest, hugging them tight with the promise he’ll see them in three hours. He leaves him with a girl who looks about Harry’s age, smiley and pretty like a Barbie doll who introduces herself as Perrie, and all three of them wave him goodbye happily.

 

When he gets back, Harry has a set out a coat for him, laid over the couch with a gingham scarf. He pulls them on dutifully as Harry appears from the kitchen, wearing a navy pea coat and stripy top. He has a painful thought of how god they look together, like a purposefully matching couple.

 

Even though the girls aren’t in the car with them, they keep the One Direction cd playing as they drive into town, chatting amicably along the way. Louis tries to keep his eyes on the road rather than Harry’s profile.

 

All he really wants to get for them are the Frozen dolls they’ve been begging for, so they make a beeline for Toys R Us, strolling through the girls toys. It’s easy to find what he’s looking for, but he’s sure Harry is an agent for the girls because he points out all sorts of things he knows they would love and Louis is weak. His little girls are awfully spoilt, he thinks, as he near fills up a trolley with more presents for them.

 

‘What about this?’ Harry asks from behind him, and Louis turns around from where he’s counting presents to make sure the girls both have the same amount, only to be greeted by Harry wearing a mask with one of One Direction’s face on.

 

‘Shit, take that off!’ Louis squawks, heart racing with fright as Harry giggles, pushing the mask back before he takes it off. ‘That’s terrifying. They’ll love it.’

 

Harry chooses out bubble guns for them as Louis wheels his trolley to the till, standing in the very long line and resting his elbows on the handle of the trolley, hip cocked. Harry then runs to pick up a few more rolls of wrapping paper before he comes to stand beside Louis in line.

 

‘These dolls really aren’t very pretty.’ Harry muses, holding Elsa’s box in his hands. Louis laughs, nodding in agreement as he eyes the Anna in the trolley. ‘Do you want to play Eye Spy?’ Harry asks then.

 

‘Alright, you start.’

 

Harry hums in thought, setting the doll down on a box of Lego. ‘I spy with my little eye, something beginning with...S,’

 

‘Sven.’ Louis says instantly, laughing when Harry fishmouths. ‘The girls have not shut up about Frozen this entire year, try harder.’

 

Harry frowns, looking around as he sucks his lower lip into his mouth. ‘Alright, eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with an L.’

 

‘Lego.’ He guess, Harry shaking his head. ‘Lord of the Rings, ladybug, Littlest Pet Shop, little children, Liam Payne, lollipop.’

 

Harry shakes his head each time, Cheshire Cat grin affixed firmly to his face.

 

‘Alright, what is it you little shit?’

 

Harry leans in close, cupping his hand around Louis’ ear. ‘Louis.’

 

Louis groans, rolling his eyes as Harry giggling into the back of his hand. ‘You are awful and I hate you.’

 

Harry leans against him, clinging to his arm and leaning his head onto his shoulder. ‘You love me.’

 

Louis turns to face him, Harry peering up at him. He’s so gorgeous, wide set eyes and straight nose and full Cupid’s bow lips, hair pulled back. Louis licks his lips, watching Harry’s smile falter as his eyes flick down, eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks as his eyes track the movement.

 

He can feel Harry’s pull, leaning in closer on instinct as Harry parts his lips slightly.

 

Except a baby starts crying and Louis remembers where they are, eyes widening as he jerks back, coughing into his fist. Harry flushes, running his fingers through his hair and becoming alarmingly invested in the family standing in line in front of them.

 

He’s still holding onto Louis’ arm though. After what is probably a minute but feels like forever, Harry nudges him with his shoulder. ‘Why do bananas need to wear sunscreen?’

 

‘I swear to God Harry, if you say what I thinking you’re going to say, I will ram your little ass with this trolley.’

 

Harry bites his lip before he blurts out, ‘because they peel!’

 

Louis groans.

 

****  
  


When they get home, they still have an hour and a bit before the girls will be done, so they take advantage of not having tiny children to watch and Louis kits himself up in his snowboarding gear so they can go and mess around a bit.

 

Harry is truly horrendous when it comes to snowboarding, visually similar to a little marshmallow in his puffy white jacket and bobble-beanie as he tumbles, sitting down heavily on his bum as Louis laughs, gliding down the slope as Harry sulks in the snow.

 

It’s easy enough to forget what they are to each other, and that he has two little girls who he loves and adores. It feels like a date, almost, giggling and sweet as they laugh at each other, Harry rolling down the slope as Louis falls on his face.

 

Louis tries to show off, but he just ends up colliding with Harry and they both end up on their back, Louis’ tummy starting to hurt from how much he’s laughing as Harry wheezes, cheeks and the tip of his nose rosy red.

 

‘Come on Rudolf, up you get.’ Louis tells him, pushing himself up and trying to balance as Harry tries to copy, wobbly and giggly. ‘Alright, we’re going to try something super cool and super advanced. Are you ready?’

 

Harry nods. ‘The more advanced, the better.’

 

Louis grins and he’s sure he has snow behind his ears. ‘Alright, hold onto my elbows,’ he instructs, Harry frowning playfully as he does as told before Louis too takes hold of his elbows, ‘And now, we hold on tight and go down as fast as we can.’

 

‘Shit,’ Harry says slowly, mischievous grin set before they’re speeding down.

 

Harry laughs into the cold air, both of them wobbling precariously as loud bouts of laughter pour out of Louis’ mouth.

 

They topple almost instantly, swerving so that Louis thuds onto his back before he’s pulling Harry down onto him, Harry landing on his chest with a heavy _oof_.

 

They laugh into each other’s faces, giggling like naughty school boys before Harry rolls off him. Or at least tries to. Louis’ still gripping onto his elbows, so he follows, rolling on top of Harry when Harry’s back hits the snow and Harry giggles nervously, his legs open as far as his strapped in feet allow with Louis slotted between them.

 

Louis lets go, leaning up on his elbows, as the laughter dies in Harry’s throat, faces so close together that Louis can feel his warm outbreath against his cheeks. Harry’s eyes flutter shut, eyelashes fanned over his Botticelli cheeks, mouth opening slightly as he as good as waits for Louis to kiss him. Louis leans in, eyes sliding closed as he cranes his neck, mouth hovering just above Harry’s as he slowly closes the distance-

 

When his phone alarm goes off in his pocket, fucking Marimba blaring and jolting him back. Harry leans up on his elbows as Louis paws at his phone, shutting the alarm up.

 

‘Shit, it’ ten to five. We have to fetch the girls.’

 

Harry nods, leaning down to unclamp his boots as Louis does the same. They’re mostly silent as they trudge down to the ski lift.

 

All tension dissipates when the girls come careening at them as soon as they spot them, energetic as anything as Olivia leaps into his arms, Emily clinging to his leg.

 

Harry lifts Emily onto his shoulders as he carries his board and her skis under his arm as Louis hoists Olivia onto his back, piggybacking her the short distance back to the house.

 

When they get back, Harry sets out to making them vegetarian lasagne, calling in the troops to help. He has Louis chopping vegetables as he and the girls make the pasta from scratch, kneading dough on the kitchen table before he lets the girls use wine bottles to manipulate it out before allowing them to use the pasta roller to roll out thin sheets of pasta that he leaves to hang over the cloth rack.

 

‘Well, thank you very much for helping me,’ he says, mainly to the girls, passing Emily a little off-cut of pasta dough. Louis isn’t sure if he should be worried about Emily’s new found love of any and all types of dough. ‘I think I can handle the rest, so why don’t you run along so daddy can run you a bath.’

 

The girls are insufferable, splashing over the lip of the tub and at Louis as they giggle loud enough to echo off the walls. Louis can’t help but grin as he watches them rub soap over their sponges so they can squeeze out foam, before Olivia starts feeding it to Emily.

 

‘Livvie, stop feeding Emily foam,’ Louis scolds teasingly as he lathers up Emily’s hair.

 

‘But it’s yummy, daddy,’ Emily protests, tipping her head back to look at him with a huge grin, hair foaming.

 

‘It’s going to wash away all your brain cells.’

 

Their mouths are perfect O’s before Louis laughs, running a wet sponge over Olivia’s shoulders, lifting up her arm to wash underneath. Emily holds her nose to sink underwater when Louis tells her she can rinse, coming up gasping for air, hair slicked back and reaching down to her shoulders, awfully long eyelashes wet, before Olivia copies, showing off when she doesn’t have to block her nose. Louis picks Emily out of the bath, wrapping a towel around her shoulders before he does the same for Olivia, drying her off before he kisses her damp shoulder.

 

He turns his back for a second, and when he turns around, there are two towels puddled on the bathroom floor and wet footprints leading out the door.

 

He chases the girls through the house, downstairs and around the lounge before they sprint into the kitchen. Louis’ out of breath when he catches up, panting as he stands in the doorway.

 

‘Your daddy is an old man, girls, and tomorrow he’s going to be even older. You’ll wear him out making him chase you,’ he tuts, winking at Louis over their heads. ‘Now, will you go put on some clothes if I tell you dinner will be ready when you get back, and that you each have a cupcake with your ice cream afterwards.’

 

The girls go easily at that, following him to their bedroom and letting him dress them into their pyjamas, even sitting still as he blowdries their hair, taking turns brushing until their hair is soft and fluffy before he ties Emily’s hair into two stubby little plaits and Olivia’s into a long plait that falls down her back.

 

True to his word, Harry dishes them all supper when they go back downstairs and then gives the girls each a cupcake before he dishes them ice cream and they tuck in to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, cuddled up under the throw.

 

The girls are sleepy and floppy by the end, going easily when Harry and Louis carry them to their room. Louis is unable to resist their plea for a bedtime story, sitting at the foot of the bed as he reads them Harry Potter.

 

Harry sits on the floor with his arms wrapped around his legs, chin resting on his knees, as he listens to Louis putting on a slew of different voices for each character. He reads until they both nod off, breathing softly as Louis tucks in a bookmark to hold his place. Harry switches on the nightlight as Louis kisses both of their foreheads. He turns off the light before edging the door closed.

 

‘It’s still early,’ Louis says, to break the silence, ‘Want a drink?’

 

Harry smiles at him, knocking his shoulder against Louis’. ‘Alright, lead the way.’

 

****  
  


Harry’s got his feet up on the couch, head thrown back as he laughs, tumbler held between his thumb and middle finger before he takes another sip of whiskey, pulling the sweetest sour face afterward. They’ve been sprawled on the couch since they carried the girls’ presents down and arranged them under the tree.

 

Louis leans forward to press his thumb into his dimple, which of course just makes Harry laugh harder.

 

‘Okay, okay, I have one. Weirdest thing you’ve ever done for money?’ Harry asks, leaning his head against the back of the couch.

 

‘I think, probably, streaking through town in the middle of the day. My friend promised me fifteen but only gave me ten.’

 

Harry squeezes his eyes shut as he laughs softly at the image provided as Louis chuckles at the memory. ‘For me it was making out with a bouncer so we could get into a club. My friends paid me a fiver and said I was the only one slaggy enough to do it.’

 

‘Nice. Okay, weirdest thing you’ve ever been caught doing?’

 

‘Oh god,’ Harry groans, turning his face into the couch cushion, ‘When I was sixteen my mum walked on me with two men. I was wearing a negligee and one of them was her colleague. It was the worst moment of my life.’

 

‘Jesus!’ Louis exclaims, roaring with laughter. ‘Why would you do that at home?’

 

‘In my defence, everyone was meant to be out, and I definitely could not hear anyone come back.’

 

‘Were you too focussed on a different type of come?’ Louis asks, faux innocently.

 

Harry gawps before he’s belting out laughter, doubled over and jostling his glass so whiskey spills onto his hand. ‘You’re amazing. Come on, weirdest thing you’ve been caught doing?’

 

‘Probably when I was ten and my friend and I heard that eating a dozen raw eggs would make you sprout chest hair. My mum came home to find us in our underwear, sick as dogs as we cracked raw eggs into our mouths. Needless to say, we were both throwing up mere moments later without a hair on our chests.’

 

‘Shit,’ Harry mutters, shaking his head, ‘That’s disgusting. Okay, weirdest,’ he pauses, twisting his mouth and furrowing his eyebrows, before he grins, ‘place you’ve ever had sex?’

 

‘I’d have to say a hammock, purely for the fact that it broke halfway through,’

 

Harry wheezes with laughter, Louis giggling at the memory, his eyes scrunching up. ’I think, personally, I’d have to say the back of a van while someone was driving.’

 

Louis raises his eyebrows before he raises his glass, saluting a smiley Harry before he throws back what’s left in his glass. ‘You are a lot filthier than your angel face would suggest, darling.’

 

Harry grins so that his eyes scrunch up before he copies and downs his glass.

 

‘Off to bed then?’

 

‘Alright,’ Harry shrugs, uncurling from his position and reaching for Louis’ empty glass. He takes them to the kitchen as Louis twists the bottle’s cap back on, following Harry to the kitchen to return it to the liquor cupboard.

 

Harry hugs him goodnight and kisses his cheek, mouth hovering above his ear. ‘Happy almost Birthday, Lou,’

 

Louis kisses his forehead before he drags himself upstairs, thinking of nothing but Harry’s soft body against his, of waking up to see Harry lying beside him.

 

**24 December**

Louis wakes up to a startling heavy weight on his chest, cracking his eyes open to see Emily’s face right in front of his. Harry walks in then, holding a tray in his hands as Olivia walks beside him, mug cradled between her palms as Harry leads them in singing Happy Birthday.

 

Louis sits up, reaching over for his glasses before he combs his fingers through his hair as Olivia sets his tea down on his bedside and Harry sets the tray down in his lap. Louis looks down at the chocolate cake, thirty one candles dotted around the edge with 31 spelled out in Astros in the centre.

 

Louis cuts cake, the girls insisting they scream until the knife touches the bottom, as Harry brings in a bag of messily wrapped presents and the girls present him with adorable Birthday cards, decorated with stickers and glitter and gel pens, and inside Emily’s, she’s drawn a picture of the four of them in crayon.

 

It's obviously mostly just things Harry chose, like jumpers and a leather jacket and nice cologne, but there’s also some nonsense that he knows his girls picked out, like a gorilla shaped mug and laser pen and Robbie Williams t-shirt.

 

He hugs his daughters afterward, kissing the tops of their heads and thanking them for their lovingly wrapped gifts and beautiful cards that he sets on his bedside table.

 

Harry makes an impressive fry-up, bringing it up to Louis’ bedroom where he’s been bullied into watching Barbie Swan Lake by his little ones. He doesn’t mind, just hopes that maybe they’ll grow out of the Barbie phase soon.

 

They snuggle up under his goose down duvet, stuffing themselves full as they laze the morning away. Louis convinces Harry to stay with them and laze about in bed for the majority of the day, occupied by games of Monopoly and Cluedo and an intense four-way game of snap before they switch to playing go fish.

 

It feels like the best birthday he’s had in ages, spent with his little family tucked into his huge bed with the games he used to play when he was little and his family would come to stay for Christmas. He feels like the smile may never leave his face, giggling along with his little girls and the boy he loves.

 

The morning fades into afternoon and Harry leaves them as they start a game of Pictionary despite the girls’ pleas for him to stay. He leans in to whisper in Louis’ ear that he’s going to finish wrapping presents, so Louis nods and tells the girls to hush, promising they can watch Frozen if they’re good.

 

Needless to say, the girls are on their best behaviour, and Louis ends up singing along to Love Is An Open Door for probably the hundredth time in a year.

 

His daughters have attention spans the size of Louis’ thumb and halfway through, they’re begging Louis to go outside and build a snowman.

 

‘Alright, but only because I love you both so much.’ He wraps his arms around their shoulders, smacking a kiss to the tops of each of their heads.

 

Louis sends the girls to get dressed before he pulls on a jacket, pulling on a beanie over his messy hair before he skips downstairs and into the study, where Harry’s set up, tacking down a strip of sticky tape before he peels off the backing of a bow, pressing it down onto the front.

 

‘You nearly done?’ he asks, watching Harry reach for his black marker before he jumps, looking up at Louis.

 

‘Shit, you scared me!’ he says, a warm little grin on his soft mouth. ‘Didn’t even hear you. Must’ve been in the zone.’

 

Louis can’t help returning his grin as Harry laughs softly, rolling his neck side to side. He just fits where he sits in the desk chair, and Louis can so clearly see him sitting at his own desk back home, waiting for Louis with a cheeky little smirk.

 

‘Wanted to come see if you wanted to build a snowman with us,’

 

Harry’s face absolutely lights up. ‘Of course! I’ll get my gloves.’

 

As Harry goes to get ready, Louis starts at carrying all his beautifully wrapped presents to join the others under the tree.

 

They regroup in the lounge, and Louis watches as Harry carefully plaits the girl’s hair before he zips them up in their parkas, wrestling them into gloves and winding scarves around their necks before pulling beanies down over their freshly-plaited hair.

Harry’s belting out Do You Want to Build a Snowman as the four of them troop out to the back garden, Emily and Olivia holding hands as they sing along.

 

Emily and Olivia go at it like women on a mission, pushing handfuls of snow together to form a solid structure. Louis decides to step back, sitting down in the snow a metre from them as he snaps a picture of them to send to his family, taking another one when Harry’s grinning like a jolly jammer.

 

He’s trying to get through his round of Candy Crush when Harry flops down next to him. ‘I sadly have not yet perfected the art of building snowmen.’ Harry says with a sigh, looking up at Louis as he folds his hands over his chest.

 

Louis laughs, pushing his glasses up his nose and looking down at Harry. Harry cocks his head, beanie pulled down to his eyebrows with little curls poking out from underneath, tickling at his shoulders.

 

‘You having a good birthday?’

 

Louis locks his phone, tucking it into his pocket. ‘Brilliant, thank you,’

 

‘You want to do something else? I just feel bad for not making a bigger deal out of it,’ he says with a shrug, eyes wide as he pouts up at him.

 

‘No, it’s been brilliant. It’s fun; just spending time with you guys is great,’ Harry smiles at that, eyelashes fluttering, snow flecked on them. ‘But, I think I want to cook tonight.’

 

‘Hey,’ Harry says, dragging out the e, ‘I had a whole special meal planned. But okay, just because it’s your birthday.’

 

Louis reaches down, tracing his fingers over Harry’s cheek. ‘I’m sorry, darling.’

 

‘You better make something amazing, though. My plans were very special, I’ll have you know.’

 

Louis smiles down at him. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll blow your mismatched socks off.’

 

Harry sticks his tongue out at him.

****  
  
  


Louis isn’t anywhere near Harry’s level in the kitchen, but he’s no novice. And there is one meal he spent ages perfecting when he was eighteen and trying to impress a boy.

 

Harry must have bribed the girls or something because Louis can’t hear anything when he bathes them, but he can hear them afterwards, the hum of a hairdryer and the sporadic bursts of laughter as Louis tries not to fuck his special meal up.

 

He’d said no one was allowed in the kitchen while he was busy, to which Harry had countered that then he wasn’t allowed into the living room.

 

Louis can hear muffled giggles coming from the lounge, followed by periods of silence and scuffle. Louis is just finishing when Harry walks in, hands over his eyes.

 

He looks beautiful, black suit and sheer black shirt underneath, only buttoned up to his navel, his hair loose around his shoulders.

 

‘I’m going to ask you to pretty please finish up and get all your stuff ready, and then to double pretty please head up to your bedroom and get changed. I set out something on your bed, but you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to.’

 

And then he’s turning and walking away, leaving Louis alone and grinning like a fool.

****  
  


 

Louis straightens out his top, checking himself in the mirror once more. He straightens his glasses, brushing his fingers through his hair before he straightens his blazer.

 

He takes a deep breath before he descends the staircase, his breath caught in his throat when he walks into the living room.

 

The lights are dimmed, candles lit around the dining room table. Harry’s lit a fire, Michael Bublé playing softly in the background as the Christmas tree glimmers.

 

He’s dressed up the girls, Emily in a rose coloured dress and Olivia in a white dress, covered in small flowers. Their hair is elaborately plaited, pulled back into neatly twirled buns.

 

Louis’ eyes meet Harry’s, bright and sparkly in the low light, and he lifts his hand to his mouth, his eyes feeling embarrassingly wet and his throat feeling tight.

 

‘Happy Birthday!’ Emily and Olivia chorus, and Louis grins, eyes scrunching up as he finally moves from his spot, walking slowly towards the three most important people in his life.

 

‘You did all this for me?’ he asks softly, eyeing how carefully the table’s been set.

 

Harry shrugs bashfully, looking down at his shoes. Louis wants to hug him, but instead he hugs his girls, kissing both of them on the forehead. ‘Thank you very much my darlings. Why don’t you sit down. Harry, would you help me in the kitchen?’

 

Harry follows him back obediently, and Louis pulls him into a hug as soon as they’re in the warmth of the kitchen. He tightens his arms around Harry’s waist, hugging him close as Harry wraps his arms around his neck.

 

‘Thank you so much Harry, you’re an angel.’

 

Harry laughs softly against his neck. ‘It was the least I could do, Lou.’

 

Louis squeezes him once more before he lets him go, stepping away to get some distance between them.

 

‘So what did you make for us, then?’

 

Louis smiles proudly as he recites, ‘Chicken stuffed with mozzarella wrapped in parma ham with a side of homemade mash.’

 

Harry whistles slowly, approaching the stove and lifting the lid of the pot, breathing in deeply. ‘Shit Lou.’

 

Louis blushes, leaning back against the kitchen table as Harry turns around and gives him an easy smile, before he steps back into Louis’ arms, hugging him again.

 

Harry carries through a bottle of Grapetiser and a bottle of red wine before Louis carries the food through, dishing for Olivia then Emily before he sits down at the head of the table.

 

Dinner is a loud and happy affair, Emily telling strings of bad jokes Harry taught her before Harry insists on taking a picture of them, sending it to everyone in Louis’ family with a dozen heart emoji’s after before he posts it on Instagram.

 

Harry brings out the remnants of his birthday cake and a tray of beautifully iced ginger biscuits, pouring Louis another glass of wine as he serves the girls hot chocolate before bed.

 

They leave four gingerbread men on the mantle above the slowly dying fire, Olivia and Emily having picked out their favourites as Harry had poured milk into one of the pretty crystal glasses, setting it beside the plate so that the girls are satisfied.

 

Louis takes them upstairs, Emily dozing off on his hip and Olivia holding his hand as he walks them back to their bedroom. He gets them out of their pretty dresses, helping them into their Special Christmas Pyjamas from Harry, Emily’s flannels covered in gingerbread men and Olivia’s in candy canes, before he undoes their hair slowly, doing Emily’s first because she seems closest to sleep.

 

He kisses her forehead as soon as he’s brushed through her hair, before he goes to sit at the foot of Olivia’s bed, untying her delicate buns before he undoes her long plaits, brushing through her silky hair gently as she plays with her Barbie, swinging her arms back and forth as Louis starts doing her hair in a loose plait for her to sleep in, so that her hair will be pretty and curly tomorrow.

 

He tucks her in, kissing her little button nose, running his hand over her over her hair as her eyes give in and slip closed. Louis watches her a second longer before he switches on the nightlight, turning off the main light and closing the door behind him.

 

Harry’s blown out some of the candles, and moved two to the coffee table in front of the fire. He’s also relocated their wine glasses and the bottle, turned the volume down so Michael’s crooning just lingers.

 

Louis sits down across from him, Harry smiling at him from behind his wineglass, legs crossed and Louis’ eyes glide down the line of them, throat dry. He’s shed his blazer, chest covered by gauzy fabric and Louis can see the lines of his tattoos, the small bumps of the extra nipples the girls always tease him about.

 

‘Good birthday?’ Harry asks, swirling his wineglass so that it sloshes in tiny little waves.

 

Louis crosses his legs, resting his ankle on his knee. ‘One of the best. Thank you Harry. Really.’

 

Harry smiles at him, a closed-mouth one with burgundy stained lips, eyes bright and eyelashes dark against his snowy skin. Louis takes a sip from his wineglass, Harry copying with the glimmer of a smile in his eyes.

 

Before his eyes widen and he’s setting his glass down on the coffee table before he swallows.

 

‘I haven’t given you your present yet!’

 

Louis raises his eyebrows, shaking his head. ‘Oh Harry, you didn’t have to get me anything-’

 

‘Well, it’s a bit pointless you telling me now after I’ve already bought it,’ Harry retorts, voice filled with mirth.

 

Louis rolls his eyes but watches powerless as Harry nips down stairs. He hopes Harry didn’t get him anything too big, otherwise he doesn’t know what he’d do with himself. He knows Harry doesn’t come from the wealthiest family and that 90% of what Louis pays him is sent straight back home, to help out or help pay his grandad’s hospital bills, and Louis had already given him what Harry claimed was a ‘suspiciously large’ Christmas bonus so that he could send money and presents back home. Louis’ tried paying him more, but Harry will have none of it. He does accept the little gifts Louis buys him though, because Louis has learnt that Harry is incapable of turning away a good scarf or pair of boots.

 

He feels awful enough that he’s stolen Harry away from his family for the past two years, he does not need the added guilt Harry brings when he insists on buying Louis painfully thoughtful gifts.

 

Harry sits back down heavily, closer to Louis then he was before as he hands him a carefully wrapped present.

 

Louis eyes him before he peels back a strip of tape carefully. It’s soft, so it’s obviously clothing of some sort, so Louis can breathe a bit, sure Harry wouldn’t buy him hugely expensive clothing, so he’s in the clear.

 

Except when he pulls back the wrapping paper and holds up the pile of blue, he left speechless. It’s cashmere, pale blue and unbelievably soft beneath his fingers. The label reads Burberry and Louis tilts his head back, before he simply says, ‘Fuck no.’

 

A look of hurt flashes over Harry’s face, before Louis turns to face him. ‘I refuse to accept this. You could send this back to your sister or something, because it’s too much Harry.’

 

Harry shuffles closer to Louis, so that their knees are touching. He tugs gently at the jumper in Louis’ hand, so that it rests over his thigh as he looks down at it, shoulders slumped.

 

‘The first thing you said to me when I walked into your office was “nice jumper”. You hadn’t even looked up at my face, just briefly looked away from my file in front of you. It’s my favourite, something Gemma gave me before I moved away. She stole it from an ex, I think?’ Harry laughs softly, rubbing his thumb against the soft wool. ‘And when you looked up, the first thing I noticed were your eyes. And I saw this when I was out shopping with you for a suit for that banquet thing, and I asked them to hold it for me while you were trying shit on.’

 

Louis bumps Harry’s knee with his own, but Harry doesn’t look up, carries on rubbing his thumb against the soft knit. Louis can see the pull of a smile, though.

 

‘I had my mum lend me the money and paid her back when you next paid me. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it for you. I know the colour’s not quite right but-’

 

Louis cuts him off by cupping his jaw, tilting his face up before he kisses him. It feels like Harry stops breathing, stock still as Louis brushes their lips together tentatively. He’s drawing back when Harry surges forward, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him with all he has.

 

Louis can’t help laughing, bursting at the seams with euphoria at the soft press of Harry’s mouth against his own, Harry panting into his lungs as he twists his fingers into Louis’ hair. Harry’s smiling against his mouth and Louis feels like he’s going to burst, like he couldn’t smile wider without his face splitting as he runs his hand down Harry’s side.

 

He licks Harry’s mouth open, Harry yielding as Louis tastes him, slow and excited as he pulls Harry into his lap. Harry cups his jaw with both hands, kissing him sweetly as Louis settles his hands on his waist, rubbing his thumbs in circles against his soft skin through the thin layer of his shirt.

 

Harry kisses just like Louis expected, soft and gentle and yielding, leaning into Louis as he nips at his lip before he slows it back into soft, open-mouthed kisses, rubbing his thumb over his cheek as Louis slides his hands up his back, and then down again. Harry arches into his feather light touch happily, nearly purring as Louis presses a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth.

 

Harry’s breathing heavily, resting his forehead against Louis’ as he rests his arms over his shoulders. ‘Fuck,’ he breathes, ‘I love you.’

 

Louis doesn’t breathe, doesn’t even move in case he disturbs something and Harry takes it back. But when he finally opens his eyes, Harry’s staring at him nervously, lip tucked between his teeth and eyes shiny.

 

‘Shit Harry, I’ve loved you since you were eighteen.’

 

Harry kisses him then, leaning into Louis as he pulls on his hair, kiss soul-stirring and hot-blooded and urgent, and Louis rubs down his back to calm him as Harry kisses him with his lips slack, before he’s breathing, ‘I love you so much,’ against Louis’ mouth. He tucks his face into his neck and kisses him just under his ear, soft and sweet before he kisses down his neck.

 

Louis leads him back to his room, stopping to kiss him against the wall in the passage, Harry giggling against his lips as Louis fails to stop smiling. He undresses Harry slowly, savouring it as he tries to take in as much as he can, unbuttoning his shirt slowly before he brushes it off his shoulders. He pops open button of his jeans, Harry having to wiggle around to get his jeans off. Louis starts laughing again and he smothers it by kissing Harry again, trailing his hands over unfamiliar flesh, smooth beneath his touch. Harry kicks off his boots before he can kick off his jeans, left standing in front of Louis in stupid mismatched socks and tiny black pants.

 

Harry pushes them down when he senses Louis’ hesitation, standing young and lithe with a cock just as pretty as the rest of him. Pink and fat and long, hard between his legs without a hint of shame.

 

Louis edges him back onto the bed, watching as Harry flops onto his back easily, spread out beautifully against his duvet. He shrugs off his blazer, hanging it over his armchair before he toes off his dress shoes.

 

Louis covers him, propped up on his elbows as he kisses him, Harry’s legs spread to accommodate as he pulls at the hem of his top, dragging it up Louis’ back until it’s bunched up in his underarms. Louis sits back to pull it off as Harry eyes him, biting his lip so that it rushes with blood, left bright red before Louis kisses him again.

 

Harry unbuttons his trousers, sliding them down his hips before they bunch up around his knees and Harry rather lets his hands go to his crotch, fingers tucking into his waistband as he breaks their kiss in favour of looking down between them as he pulls downwards, reaching inside his pants and wrapping his soft hand around Louis, drawing him out against his tummy.

 

He flat out moans, a sound Louis goes to steal with another kiss, before he hooks his hands under Harry’s thighs, shimmying him up the bed until his head is resting against the pillows. Harry smiles at him dreamily as Louis gives him a soft kiss before he’s climbing off the bed, pushing off his trousers and underwear and toeing off his socks before he scurries to the bathroom for lube and condom.

 

Harry’s kicked at the duvet when he gets back, bunched it down and slipped under so that he’s covered up to his knees. Louis climbs back onto the bed, slotting between Harry’s thighs before he’s pulling the duvet over them even though it’s likely it will get kicked off.

 

He sucks a light bruise into Harry’s neck as he presses his first finger in, fucking him slowly as Harry makes soft, cut-off sounds. He slips in a second after he finds his spot, alternating between spreading his fingers and tracing around the fleshy bump, pressing down against it lightly so that Harry moans.

 

He’s conscious of the girls sleeping downstairs, so he just presses their mouths together, stroking down his side as he slips in a third finger. Harry gasps, hips pressing down into Louis hand as he strokes tight circles around his spot, until his cock is dripping wet between them, Louis nudging his between Harry’s cheeks as soon as he pulls out his fingers, teasing him as he sucks on his tongue

 

Harry whines softly, every bit as loud as Louis thought he would be, grinding his hips down to try and get Louis inside of him. Louis kisses his nose, tracing the back of his index finger along the spine of Harry’s cock before he rips open the condom, rolling it down over himself as he covers Harry's body with his own.

 

He kisses Harry's neck as he presses into him before he bites down softly. Harry’s breathing stutters, coming out in little uh’s each time Louis presses in further. Harry digs his nails into his back as Louis licks his mouth open as his hips press flush to his arse.

 

Louis slides his hand down his Harry's side, stroking him soothingly before he holds onto his waist, fingers of his other hand carding through his long hair. Louis starts moving slow as Harry's eyelashes flutter, his head dropping back against the pillows as his mouth gapes open. He squirms around on Louis' cock as his fucks him, letting out sweet little stifled sounds as Louis presses into him slowly.

 

He slides his hand up Harry’s chest, pressing down over his heartbeat as he grinds his hips forward, fluid in his movements with Harry whimpering and turning his face into the pillows, squirming around as Louis dicks in deep.

 

His open mouth hovers above his neck, breathing out as Harry bares his throat, whimpering as he digs his nails into Louis' shoulder, scratching down. He bites down softly, holding himself up with his palm flat beside Harry's shoulder as he traces his thumb in circles around the bud of his nipple with the other.

 

Harry moans before he bites down on the pillow, Louis thumbing over his nipple until it’s tight and he can press his nail down in the centre, Harry moaning brokenly into the pillow and arching up into it. Louis slides his mouth from his neck, pressing a kiss in the dip of his collar bones before he kisses down his chest. He slides his palm to rest over Harry's tummy, hand resting lightly as he sucks his nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue against it. Harry tightens his arm around Louis' neck as his other hand twists into the bedsheet, pulling tightly.

 

Harry gasps, head falling back heavily as the pillow as he groans softly in his throat. Louis presses soft kisses across the stretch of his chest before he can lick over his other nipple, dragging the head of his cock torturously slow over Harry’s prostate before he slides back in smoothly, tracing his fingers against Harry's tummy before he settles his hand on his hip.

 

Harry whines, prompting Louis to look up at him, before Harry is craning his neck, mouth open and eyes closed. Louis slots their mouths together, rubbing his thumb in circles against his hip. Harry breaks their kiss to moan again, turning his face in the pillow as he moans loud from his chest.

 

Louis presses open mouthed kisses down his neck and across his shoulder, pressing into him slowly as he bites down, sucking a bruise onto his shoulder as Harry squeaks, scratching his nails down Louis' back as Louis angles upwards, angling his thrusts against his spot.

 

Harry moans, breathy and high before he turns his cheek against the pillow, panting into the pillow cover as his eyelids flutter when Louis keeps himself deep and rocks his hips, holding him down with his hand curled around his hip.

 

‘Fuck me, God,’ Harry whimpers, arching his hips up and curling his hand around Louis' neck, ‘Please fuck me.’

 

'Of course, little one,' Louis says, beaming as he leans up to kiss Harry, smiling into it. Harry smiles back at him, cheeks pink and eyes dark as he wraps both his arms around Louis' neck.

 

'Love you,' he whispers, voice slightly hoarse.

 

Louis kisses him again and returns the sentiment before he does as Harry asked, reaching out to hold onto the headboard as he draws out and fucks back into Harry, hard enough that he's jolted up the bed. He slides his hand from his hip to his thigh, curling his hand around the back of it before he's drawing it up, pressing Harry open with his thigh flat against the mattress.

 

Harry moans, voice high in his throat as his eyes squeeze shut, forehead creased as he bites into his lower lip, pulling at Louis' hair as Louis leans into it, rolling his hips against Harry’s arse so that their skin slaps together, lewd and dirty as Harry gasps, a breath punched out of him in a soft sob.

 

Louis grips tighter to the headboard as he presses Harry's knee into the mattress, Harry craning up to bury his face in Louis' neck before he’s fucking Harry shallowly to jab against his spot and he bites down hard.

 

Harry near screams into Louis' neck, biting down weakly as he seizes up, tummy trembling as he claws down Louis' back, his thighs shivering before they’re shuddering, trying to close against Louis' hold and around his waist as his cock kicks, coming wet all over himself. Louis rests down onto his elbow, unpinning Harry's knee to rather fit his hand between them, reaching to stroke his cock with the backs of two of his fingers as he comes untouched, earning a high, gaspy whimper from him.

 

Louis presses a kiss to the shell of his ear as Harry keens into his neck, holding onto Louis as he clenches down around him, breathing shallow and heavy and Louis strokes down his side.

 

He waits until Harry's head falls back against the pillow before he kisses him, mouths open as they fit together. He kisses across his cheeks, over each eyelid before he kisses his forehead, Harry sighing slowly underneath him.

 

'You're amazing. I love you.' Louis breathes, brushing his nose against Harry's until Harry smiles, eyes opening slowly.

 

'Shit,' he says slowly before he's laughing breathlessly, grinning up at him before he presses a single kiss to the corner of Louis' mouth. 'You can finish, you know,'

 

Louis kisses under his jaw, cheeks sore from how wide he's smiling. 'You're an angel.'

 

'Love you,' Harry sighs before he grinds back onto Louis' cock, raising his eyebrows. Louis can't help kissing him again before he rests his hands on Harry's waist, pinning him down as he fucks him hard and fast.

 

Harry whimpers beneath him, arching up into Louis as he comes, buried deep inside him as his jaw goes slack, moaning low as his head hangs, hands strong as he holds him down.

 

Harry cards through his hair until he's breathing normal, before Louis slips out of bed for a flannel to clean them up, wiping up the mess on Harry's tummy as Harry beams up at him lazily.

 

Harry pulls his underwear back on lazily as Louis passes him one of his old shirts, Harry buttoning it up to his throat with a silly little giggle as Louis pulls on pyjama pants, climbing in behind him before he wraps his arms around him, Harry snuggling back into his chest with a contented sigh.

 

Louis noses as his neck, kissing at the exposed skin on his shoulder as their legs tangle together. He pauses. 'Did I really just fuck you while you wearing mismatched socks?'

 

Harry giggles, pulling Louis' arms tighter around him as he wriggles back against him.

**  
  
**

**25 December**

Louis was definitely not all there last night, otherwise he would have thought to send Harry back to his room so that he's not there when the girls run in, jumping up on his bed. Miraculously, they don't seem to notice the absurdity of the fact that their au pair is in their dad's bed, focussing more on getting him out of bed.

 

'Just let me put on a jumper, alright? We'll be right down.' Louis tells them, sitting up and brushing Olivia's hair back before she nods, pulling Emily with her as they run out the room.

 

He flops down on the bed, smiling over at a sleepy looking Harry. It can't be later than half six and Louis feels exhausted. Harry snuggles closer, Louis leaning in to kiss him good morning.

 

He pulls on the jumper from Harry, soft and buttery against his skin as Harry watches him with a poorly suppressed grin, biting on his lower lip. Louis pulls him out of bed, offering him a pair of pyjama pants that he watches Harry pull on over his adorable little arse. He's kicked off one of his socks in the night, so Louis sits him back down on the edge of his bed as he crouches down pull down off his remaining yellow sock, before he pulls on a pair of his dinosaur patterned ones Emily got him for Father's Day.

 

They tiptoe downstairs, joining Emily and Olivia around the tree as Louis sits back on the couch, tucking Harry under his arm. He kisses his temple as Harry's hand finds his, tucked together as their girls tear at wrapping paper, squealing in delight.

 

Louis noses at Harry's ear as Emily starts at tearing open a present from Harry. 'I love you.'

 

Harry grins up at him, wrapping his arms around Louis' waist as he snuggles in closer.

 

'Love you more.'

 

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr @schoolgirlharry


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